Government quarantine exemption for Hong Kong rugby sevens team ‘best for the sport’, says star player
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Hong Kong men’s rugby sevens star Liam Herbert said the government giving the team a quarantine exemption after they returned from playing in Canada was vital for their chances of earning a spot in next year’s World Cup.
Players, coaches and back room staff returned home to undergo 14 days of quarantine that included four mornings of training sessions at King’s Park Sports Ground under strict conditions.
The group received some backlash given the government’s exemption rules do not explicitly include athletes, mostly exempting government officials, directors of listed companies, cross-border truck drivers, diplomats, and Covid-19 research experts.
The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) justified the decision, saying the team had a “genuine need to maintain intensive training to upkeep skills and physical fitness” in preparation for the Asia Rugby Sevens Series from November 19 to 26. The two highest-placed teams at the event, to be held in the United Arab Emirates, will book a ticket to the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa next September.
